


First Love, Last Love

by Moments_of_Clarity



Series: Today and Yesterday [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, First Love, Mother-Son Relationship, Post-Canon, Young Love, post-adwd, two tender idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 04:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21368317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moments_of_Clarity/pseuds/Moments_of_Clarity
Summary: Galladon is newly in love and ready to cause a minor scandal in its name.Brienne was asked to choose love and broke a three hundred year old tradition.Edit: Title change 8th of January 2020. Previously the Wooing and the Wait.
Relationships: Brienne of Tarth & Galladon of Tarth (Original Character), Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Series: Today and Yesterday [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537720
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42





	First Love, Last Love

“Mother!” Galladon shouts, hurriedly hiding something behind his back. “W-what are you doing here?” 

Brienne raises her brows. “What am I doing here? In my own home?” 

Galladon blushes. Like his mother his blush is scarlet rather than a light pink, and covers not just his cheeks but neck and ears too. 

“I meant what are you doing in this part of Evenfall, right now?” 

Brienne's brows raise further still, and Galladon splutters, “I... you said... I thought you were going to be in meetings all day.” 

That had been the plan. Evenfall Hall is currently stretched to full capacity with not only all of the ruling lords and ladies of Tarth, but also representatives from several other Stormlands Houses. All here to gawk at the Evenstar—the first lady knight of Westeros—and her Lannister son. One lord's constant snide remarks have worn her patience to the barest thread. She'd been forced to call a break before she forgets herself and acts on her desire to drag him by the hair to the nearest lake, and hold him underwater until he stops kicking. 

“Well I'm not. I'm here, wondering why my only child is sneaking around like a thief in the night. And if he thinks me such a fool as to not notice him hiding something behind his back.” 

Galladon sighs and holds out a slightly squashed bouquet of yellow and orange gladiolus. “It isn't that I thought I could fool you,” he explains. “I was just hoping you wouldn't mention it.” 

Brienne almost laughs. Now her initial suspicion–that he had taken Oathkeeper from her chamber to show off to the children of the various visitors–has been allayed she can find the humour in this situation. “Who are those for?” 

Galladon shrugs. “A girl. A lady. She’s a lady.” 

“I assume the lady’s parents gave her a name and not just a title.” 

“Kaenna Penrose,” Galladon whispers and Brienne groans. 

“The same Lady Kaenna whose father announced, not even two nights ago, his daughter’s betrothal to someone who is _not_ you?” Gods, maybe Lord Snide did her a favour by pushing her to the limits of her patience. If she hadn’t gone for this walk, she would still be ignorant of the minor scandal her son is planning. 

“Unless there is another Kaenna Penrose I was unaware of then yes, the very same,” Galladon says sullenly. 

“You are not so grown that I can’t still send you to your room,” Brienne warns. “Galladon, what are you thinking?” she keeps her voice as low as she can, all too aware of the multitude of strangers currently residing within her walls and how little care several of them have for her, her family, and her provincial island. 

“I was thinking that Kaenna should know she has options. That she doesn’t have to marry someone chosen _for _her.” 

And Brienne can’t say anything to that without sounding like a hypocrite. As a girl she’d had one betrothal broken by death, one by a cruel boy, and the last she had broken herself–on top of a bone or two. As a woman, she had married for love and her choice of husband had been so far from appropriate that people still talk of it all these years later. 

****** 

_“I think it for the best that it will be just you and I going forward, my lady.” Hyle Hunt had not lost his ability to exasperate Brienne though the same could not be said for his left eye. A wild slash of a sword had taken it during the battle against the Brotherhood. Hyle had been understandably wroth for several sennights, but now the small group were ready to leave the Quiet Isle his determination to live out the rest of his days as the Lord of Tarth had returned tenfold. _

_“And why is that?” Jaime asked before she could. The Lord Commander had made his dislike of Hyle known to Brienne, repeatedly and loudly. She understood that Hyle could be abrasive, but she hadn’t seen anything that could explain that degree of animosity. _

_“Well someone has to guard the lady’s back, and I would say I am the better choice,” Hyle said, smirking at Jaime. “Better one eye than no sword hand.” _

_“How superior can your swordsmanship be, if a peasant who could barely hold a sword managed to best you.”_

_“Didn’t you lose to a green boy of five and ten?” _

_“Ser Hyle!” Brienne said, voice raised to be heard over the bickering men. “Go check on the horses.” _

_“Podrick is checking on them.”_

_“Well go help him,” she demanded. Hyle sighed and huffed but he obeyed her, leaving her alone with Jaime. _

_“You’ll regret it. If you accept his proposal, you’ll regret it,” Jaime said as soon as the other man was out of earshot._

_“I may regret accepting him. Or I may regret refusing him,” she told him. “I may die before I have to make that choice.” _

_Jaime closed the space between them. It was the closest they had been since he’d dragged her bleeding, failing body away from the ruins of the Brotherhood’s camp. Once they’d reached the Quiet Isle, and Brienne had regained enough of her strength, she’d insisted on their separation, too ashamed by her betrayal to be in his presence. However, Jaime had not agreed with that. He’d spent hours sitting outside the door of her temporary home, yelling through the door about all that had occurred during their time apart. Of Tywin and Tyrion and being sent away to Riverrun. Of his return to Harrenhal and Pia and Red Ronnet. Of his aunt and the threats he’d used to get Edmure Tully to yield Riverrun. Of the letter he’d burnt. Of seeing her again._

_“It was then I realised I was the greatest fool in the seven kingdoms,” he’d confessed. “Sending you off alone like I did, into the most war-torn part of this damned kingdom.” Jaime had talked and talked and Brienne had listened and now she would finally answer. _

_“It wasn’t your fault. None of it was your fault.” She’d still kept some distance between them after that, too convinced she was unworthy of his forgiveness but she had told him of her journey; from the moment she’d left King’s Landing to the day they reunited. _

_Now, as they were about to part again, Jaime looked up at her with an intensity she’d not seen since he’d told her the truth of why he killed Aerys. “What will you regret then? If you die before a choice can be made?” _

_Brienne blushed and shook her head. “I-I do not know. Failing, I suppose.”_

_“I know what I’d regret. If either of us died before we could meet again.” He wrapped his right arm around her waist and gently pulled her to him. His hand of flesh he placed behind her neck, rubbing his thumb along the rope burns there. _

_Brienne had time enough to whisper, “But you’re–” before he raised himself up and kissed her. She didn’t know what to do with her hands so she kept them clenched and by her side. She didn’t know what to do with her lips so she kept them still. She had the thought she should close her eyes but couldn’t bring herself to do so. _

_“You can’t,” she whispered once Jaime had pulled back enough for her to talk. Jaime sighed and moved his hand to cup her cheek. _

_“Can’t I? Why is that?”_

_“Because,” Brienne said roughly, fighting to get the words past the lump in her throat, “I am who I am and you are Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and you’re going back to... Casterly Rock.” Back to Cersei, who had fled there with her son once the False Dragon and his army had arrived on the mainland. _

_Jaime raised himself on his toes enough to press their foreheads together and Brienne finally allowed herself to close her eyes. _

_“Brienne. I am not playing any games or making a jest at your expense. You know me better than that. If you wait for me, I promise I will find a way for us. Just... put off that hedge knight for at least a little while longer. Please. Promise me.”_

_She could do nothing else. “I promise.” _

_She’d not heard from, or about, Jaime for a long while after their parting that day. Not until she’d came down from the Eyrie, Sansa Stark at her side, and stopped at an inn for the night. The travellers there were all speculating on just one thing that night–why Jaime Lannister had been granted a royal pardon from the Kingsguard. _

**Author's Note:**

> I told myself I wasn't going to post anything new for this series until I was finished with the third chapter of CITL but apparently, after 28 years on this earth, I still haven't twigged on to the fact I'm a liar. Thanks to everyone who read the first installment of this series and to those who left kudos and/or comments. I was not expecting anywhere near the response it got. 
> 
> For those who are wondering about Galladon and Kaenna (whose first name I got from a fantasy name generator specifically designed for Westerosi names) and what happened with them, Brienne convinced Galladon to slow his roll. She told him she would allow him to talk to her under supervision and sat them together at dinner a few nights later. It took Galladon all of two minutes to learn Kaenna's betrothed is a boy she grew up with and who she is very much looking forward to marrying. He was disappointed for a while but soon got over it and wishes her all the best in life. Galladon is about 13/14 here.
> 
> As for Hyle, once he heard about Jaime leaving the Kingsguard, he conceded defeat. He still stuck around because a) by this point Brienne is a friend and b) he's hoping for some gold for Sansa's return.


End file.
